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NSW has mojo back, Baird tells business

Premier Mike Baird has been spruiking NSW to big business and will look to Europe for future infrastructure investment.

Addressing an Australian British Chamber of Commerce lunch in Sydney, Mr Baird promoted investment opportunities to representatives from financial heavyweights including Lend Lease, KPMG, ANZ and British American Tobacco.

"We really are in an unprecedented opportunity where we have this immense infrastructure need, we've got capital around the world looking for a home and we're trying to bring the two together," Mr Baird said.

The former investment banker said NSW was back to being a pace-setter for economic growth and was pursuing an aggressive infrastructure strategy to drive the economy.

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He said investors, rating agencies and infrastructure groups in London especially see big potential for the next five to 10 years in NSW.

"Infrastructure players around the world are closely looking, including the UK and across Europe, with an opportunity to participate," he said.

The premier, who took over the reins in mid-April, said the privatisation of public assets was vital to fund NSW's transport needs.

"(Transport) congestion is what is crippling us," he said.

"Undertaking the 49 per cent lease of the (electricity) poles and wires provides us with the capacity to make a once-in-a-generation hit on that," he said.

Mr Baird is seeking a mandate for the poles and wires sell-off at next year's NSW election.

The government hopes the transaction will unlock $20 billion for ambitious transport projects including a second Sydney Harbour rail crossing and rapid transit line, and extensions to the WestConnex motorway.